www.kenstallings.com
How a democracy
survives is by realizing that there are core liberties which cannot be
abridged regardless of how large a percentage of its citizens believe they
should be. Why a democracy can fail is by forgetting this essential truth!
Benjamin Franklin had a talent for espousing elemental truths in stark
simplicity. On this caveat he simply said, "Democracy is two wolves and a
lamb voting on dinner. Liberty is the lamb contesting the vote!"
As I read this article in the News & Observer today, it brought home to me
these two essential truths.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/03/419324/quit-or-else-perdue-told.html
There have always been extreme groups.
But what concerns me greatly today is the erosion of respect for the
notion that people can only coexist when their inalienable rights are
respected. It seems to me there is a disturbing trend toward social
engineering among progressive liberals who believe they can amend all
aspects of society no matter how personal. This includes such warped
concepts as politically correct speech, food policing, income
redistribution, and nationalized health care. These progressives are on a
quest to achieve a social utopia but all they are really doing is ushering
in an era of social violence and mayhem!
So, when I see so many Democrats violate essential liberties in the
Constitution and then arrogantly assert they "don't worry" about that, I
can only surmise they have no respect for the law they swore a moral oath
to support. How can anyone trust someone who would violate a moral oath?
The Constitution was designed to assert limits on government power, and
just as vital, to delineate inalienable rights of citizens. Today
government, especially at the federal and municipal levels, appears bent
upon social engineering outside the duties and limitations of the
Constitution upon said governments.
People want to be left free to make their own choices, and to enjoy the
protection of society to keep safe and whole the property they have worked
hard to earn. Another famous American with a penchant for summing up
complex concepts with homespun wisdom was Abraham Lincoln who, on the
concept of protecting private property, said, "Let not him who is
houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and
build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe
from violence when built."
The only way a democracy can endure is by recognizing limits on government
power and influence, and endeavor to respect the rights of citizens to
self-determination. Through this self-determination, citizens may earn
property. But, what concerns me is the increasing desire among some
citizens to covet the property and success of others vice work hard to
earn their own happiness. I do not covet another man's wealth or success.
Instead, I rejoice that such a man had the freedom to strive for such
achievement, because I genuinely wish to retain that right for myself and
my children. If you deem your home inadequate, then work harder to earn a
better one! Do not instead seek to confiscate through taxation or imminent
domain another man's property so that you can use it for your own personal
aims.
There is simply no goal noble enough to be obtained by un-Constitutional
means. Because by seeking such a path, you destroy systems vastly more
important. And once those systems are harmed, all things become a violent
confluence of domestic terrorism and civil war. This is because eventually
human patience and endurance is exceeded, and starting with small numbers,
citizens seek to overthrow by violent means those un-Constitutional agents
whom they conclude cannot be undone by votes and courts.
I fear we are on the cusp of a rise of civil violence, some would term it
pure vigilantism. If even one percent of a nation of 300 million people
deem they shall no longer tolerate the usurpation of their core values and
rights, and believe violence is the only means to stop the abridgment,
then the recipe for destruction of the nation is begun!
This nation has already fought a civil war over slavery and states' rights
to retain slavery. I fear we are coming perilously close to a civil war
fought entirely over ideology, with no geographical borders to define the
war. I do not know if the nation can survive such a civil war. But I do
know the best way to avoid such a tragedy is simply to respect each
persons' right to self-determination, with all the natural concepts of
personal accountability for that personal decision-making.
Returning to the sage words of Abraham Lincoln, in his recognition of this
essential fact, he said, "Don't interfere with anything in the
Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our
liberties." Lincoln was wise to say this. It is not important for me that
all men conform to actions I think wise. It is rather vital for me that
all men be afforded the freedom to choose their own path. I have the
confidence that over time, and with patience, people will make wise
choices whereby society achieves the harmonious advancements wise people
desire. Harmoniously achieved advancements are lasting, as they do not
come through coercion, but rather through natural advancement based upon
self-determination, hard work, and personal desires.
But to force it through narrow-minded social engineering through coercion
and erosion of liberty is a path to utter destruction. I fear we are
embarking upon such a path today because of a combination of two forces.
We have people who see government as their tool to gain property
confiscated from others who first earned it plus also to achieve social
objectives along their narrow vision. Second, we have people who see
freedom as a barrier to achieving their vision for social utopia.
This is precisely why it is so vital that the US Supreme Court undo this
un-Constitutional fiat by the Democratic Congress and signed into law by
President Barrack Obama. Health care is not a right. However, it is firmly
a right that no citizen may be coerced to purchase a service or good. If
universal health care cannot be obtained without forcing citizens to
purchase health insurance, then it means one thing -- that universal
health care is not a goal a democracy should embark upon! Rather,
government should work to lower health care costs and promote increased
competition among private institutions that would offer health insurance
polices to citizens who may choose freely to purchase them!
But more important than all that, if government continues to ignore the
Constitution, then we sow the seeds of our national destruction. Nothing
is worth that, and certainly not nationalized health care!
-- Ken Stallings
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